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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Eventually, what does the protagonist come to realize?

2. What does the nurse promise?

3. When is the protagonist's silent reverie broken?

4. What does he want to do?

5. What feels like fire?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the memory that is triggered by the hamburger.

2. To what does the title refer?

3. What does the protagonist tell the stranger? How does the stranger respond?

4. How does the protagonist react to the stranger's honesty?

5. What does he tell the nurse? What is her response? Why does he feel this way?

6. What does the protagonist realize years later about his grandmother?

7. Why does the protagonist begin to tell the stranger his story?

8. What is the protagonist's memory about his grandmother?

9. Describe the scene between the protagonist and the stranger.

10. What happens when the protagonist tries to eat a hamburger?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The protagonist is not named until Section 6.

Part 1) What is his name? Why is it not known until Section 6?

Part 2) What is the author's purpose for keeping him anonymous for over half of the novel?

Part 3) How might this reflect how both the author and main character feel about themselves?

Essay Topic 2

The main character is a Holocaust survivor.

Part 1) Describe this character. How is his personality shaped by his experience in a concentration camp?

Part 2) How is he similar to other Holocaust survivors?

Part 3) Compare the main character to the author, who is also a Holocaust survivor.

Essay Topic 3

The stranger on the ship says, "I think I'm going to hate you."

Part 1) What does this reveal about the protagonist?

Part 2) What is ironic about this statement?

Part 3) How is this type of honesty repeated later in the novel? How does this help or hurt the protagonist?

(see the answer keys)

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